NAIROBI — Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has strongly criticized former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua over remarks warning of possible violence in the wake of Kenya’s 2027 general election, calling them “dangerous and reckless.”
Speaking during a church service in Busia County on Sunday, Kindiki said the government would not tolerate any threats to peace ahead of the next polls.
“Kenya will never return to political barbarity. Not in 2027, not at any other time,” he told the congregation. “Our country learnt hard and painful lessons from the 2007–2008 violence. Never again.”
His comments come just two days after Gachagua, in a televised interview, claimed that if electoral officials mishandle the 2027 vote, the outcome could be worse than the chaos that followed the disputed 2007 election which left more than 1,000 people dead and hundreds of thousands displaced.
“With the mood in the country, if the IEBC tries to mess with the elections, there will be no country left,” Gachagua said during the broadcast. “2007 will look like a Christmas party.”
He added that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) must “not attempt to force William Ruto on the people of Kenya,” suggesting that the public was ready for change and would not accept a manipulated outcome.
Condemnation from Across the Aisle
Gachagua’s remarks have sparked a wave of condemnation from across the political spectrum.
Oscar Sudi, a Member of Parliament from Kapseret and close ally of President Ruto, described the comments as “careless” and “irresponsible.”
“Kenya belongs to all of us,” Sudi said on Saturday. “No one has the right to threaten bloodshed because of an election. We must protect our country from such thinking.”
Political analysts say the comments reflect a growing split within Kenya Kwanza, the ruling coalition, where Gachagua once held significant sway before falling out with President Ruto’s inner circle.
A Fragile Peace
The 2007–2008 post-election crisis remains one of the darkest chapters in Kenya’s recent history. The violence that followed the disputed results nearly brought the country to a halt and only ended with a power-sharing deal.
Since then, the country has largely avoided large-scale political unrest during elections, though tensions and localised clashes have not disappeared.
Kindiki, who has steadily risen within the administration as a voice of stability, made it clear on Sunday that any hint of violence would be firmly addressed.
“Let every Kenyan know especially those in positions of influence that we will not allow this country to be dragged backwards,” he said.
What Next for Gachagua?
It remains to be seen whether Gachagua’s remarks were a warning, a political strategy, or both. He has been increasingly critical of President Ruto’s leadership and has hinted at aligning with opposition voices ahead of 2027.
Yet his invocation of 2007 has unsettled even some of his supporters, with concerns that such language only fuels division.
“We have a Constitution, a working electoral body, and institutions that can be improved through legal means,” said Dr. Mumbi Wainaina, a political scientist at the University of Nairobi. “This kind of rhetoric undermines all that and reopens wounds we are still healing from.”
As the country edges toward another election season, the weight of history looms large. For now, leaders like Kindiki are calling for restraint.
“Let us build, not burn,” he said. “Kenya is bigger than any one politician.”
